TV comedian Stephen Colbert will resume production on his hit nightly political affairs program on Monday following a brief and unexpected hiatus. Filming for The Colbert Report was halted last week due to “unforeseen circumstances” and later reports suggested the declining health of the star’s 91-year-old mother Lorna may have been to blame.

The funnyman appeared to confirm rumors of a family emergency by reaching out to fans to thank them for their kind wishes, writing in a post on Twitter.com, “My family and I would like to thank everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers. We are grateful and touched by your concern.”

And now Colbert will return to his show hosting duties on Monday with novelist Ann Patchett as his guest, a Comedy Central representative has confirmed to the New York Times.